WAMC International 4.0/515 current MPH grad student at Yale

[aspiringneuroHIVphysician]

I am an MPH candidate at the Yale School of Public Health with a 4.0 undergraduate GPA from a leading public university in the US (B.S. Neuroscience with a minor in Society and Genetics). I have taken the MCAT 3 times (2x in 2020) and 1 time in 2024 and have consistently scored a 515 (w/ CARS bringing my score down each time even though I have managed to score 129-130 on practice tests). I will be a reapplicant this upcoming cycle and also classify as an international student and need advice regarding retaking the MCAT for a 4th time and/or acceptance chances. I have previously volunteered as an HIV linkage counselor, a crisis counselor and currently volunteer with the free student clinic at Yale. I have limited experience shadowing (but will be continuing this summer). I have worked full time for 1.5 years as a clinical research coordinator prior to starting grad school and have one 2nd author publication under my belt, 1 article under review, and 1 accepted abstract (currently working on the paper). Besides publications, I also have received 2 summer fellowships (one in undergrad and one in grad school). I also have multiple leadership and advocacy experiences under my belt mostly related to LGBTQ+ organizations and in student government (both undergraduate and graduate). My community activism efforts have centered on increasing access to healthcare for queer individuals and have taken shape in the form of volunteering at LGBTQ non-profit organizations, helping coordinate health camps/serving as patient navigators, and legislative activism via letter writing campaigns and lobbying.

I would appreciate any advice from anyone on the forum! I am also happy to answer questions and provide more information regarding hours engaging in extra curricular upon request!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

What were your previous school lists? What feedback have you received about your application profile?

 

[aspiringneuroHIVphysician]

Welcome to the forums.

What were your previous school lists? What feedback have you received about your application profile?

Hi thank you so much for your response!

Here is a list of schools I previously applied to based off MSAR data on schools that accept international students:
Boston University School of Medicine (Boston, MA)
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (Cleveland, OH)
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York, NY)
Duke University School of Medicine (Durham, NC)
Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, GA)
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (Hanover, NH)
Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY)
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD)
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, IL)
NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine (Mineola, NY)
NYU Grossman School of Medicine (New York, NY)
Perelman School of Medicine at UPenn (Philadelphia, PA)
Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY)
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (Newark, NJ)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (Piscataway, NJ)
St. Louis University School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO)
Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford, CA)
State University of NY Upstate College of Medicine (Syracuse, NY)
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University (Providence, RI)
UC Davis, School of Medicine (Sacramento, CA)
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine (Los Angeles, CA)
UChicago Pritzker School of Medicine (Chicago, IL)
University of Colorado School of Medicine (Aurora, CO)
UConn School of Medicine (Farmington, CT)
University of Illinois College of Medicine (Chicago, IL)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pittsburgh, PA)
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (Nashville, TN)
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO)
Weill Cornell Medicine (New York, NY)
Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT)

Most of the feedback I received was regarding my significantly imbalanced scores (131/125/128/131) which is why I decided to retake the MCAT again in 2020 - for the 2024-2025 application cycle, my scores would not have been valid at most schools but, I had the same issue with CARS. Some of the pre-health counselors at my undergrad institution also mentioned that international medical school applicants are often reviewed towards the end, even though I had submitted my secondaries by august. Additionally, due to the pandemic, my clinical hours were mostly virtual and my experiences were mostly limited to crisis counseling on the weekends. I only began HIV counseling when I was applying to medical school (previous cycle: 2022-2023). Although I was engaged in research, I did not get my first publication until feb of this year.

I am hoping that my in-person volunteering at the student-free clinic at Yale and a significantly longer time doing clinical research since I last applied can help bolster both my clinical and research hours. However, I am still running into the same issue of an imbalanced MCAT score and I'm not sure if one month of studying will improve my CARS score as I seem to panic during the test. At the moment I am considering including a supplementary essay in the "Anything else?" prompt on the secondaries to explain my imbalanced CARS score as I have demonstrated critical analysis skills while leading qualitative and quantitative data analysis efforts for my publications.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Most of the feedback I received was regarding my significantly imbalanced scores (131/125/128/131) which is why I decided to retake the MCAT again in 2020 - for the 2024-2025 application cycle, my scores would not have been valid at most schools but, I had the same issue with CARS.

You said you were an international student, so I presume English is not your native language? I honestly don't get why people don't apply simple holistic concepts in MCAT score interpretation. I cannot confirm the statement international students are reviewed near the end of the cycle. Maybe if they have policies to adhere to regarding filling the class. Seriously, IMO, ask the schools or expand your list. 125 for an international applicant is fine and should not supersede your pending MPH degree.

 

[aspiringneuroHIVphysician]

You said you were an international student, so I presume English is not your native language? I honestly don't get why people don't apply simple holistic concepts in MCAT score interpretation. I cannot confirm the statement international students are reviewed near the end of the cycle. Maybe if they have policies to adhere to regarding filling the class. Seriously, IMO, ask the schools or expand your list. 125 for an international applicant is fine and should not supersede your pending MPH degree.

Thank you! Although I am fluent in english, I am multi-lingual and have always struggled with reading sections (such was the case with the SAT/ACT as well). In terms of asking the schools, what specifically would you recommend asking? In the past, I have received pretty bleak responses with links to their admissions FAQ page, or no response at all.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Are you a permanent resident?

 

[aspiringneuroHIVphysician]

Are you a permanent resident?

Unfortunately, I classify as an F-1 student. I phased out of my parents' permanent resident application at the age of 21 as there application is still processing.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Reach out to Mentorship For International Students | F-1 Doctors | United States . Maybe they can also give you insight about schools on your list.

 

[aspiringneuroHIVphysician]

Reach out to Mentorship For International Students | F-1 Doctors | United States . Maybe they can also give you insight about schools on your list.

Thank you so much! I just sent a few notes to some potential mentors

 

[Faha]

Apply to DO schools that accept applications from Internationals and you could receive interviews.

 

[AJS59]

Did you receive any interviews at the schools listed previously?

 

[aspiringneuroHIVphysician]

Did you receive any interviews at the schools listed previously?

I was put on a waitlist for interviews at SUNY upstate but never ended up getting one. And I didn't interview with any other schools on my list

 

[AJS59]

I was put on a waitlist for interviews at SUNY upstate but never ended up getting one. And I didn't interview with any other schools on my list

Ok, then as suggested by Faha, I'd recommend you give international-friendly DO's a try. Not sure which ones qualify but worth considering.